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Part 5 - Quest of heroes
=========================================================== HAPPINESS:
NOT SO FAR OFF
Perhaps a little worryingly, the arrow points back along the road,
towards the city, and away from the direction they were told to travel
in."Do you all understand what must be done now?" =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO shakes off a speculative look at Syd's tail to focus on the girl. With a sinuous shrug, she replies, "The difference from five to four, as all differences, is infinite...yet we remain whole, with but an infinite distance laid out before us before we see our friend again." Somehow, she seems to consider this an answer. She gives a sharp, amused, shake of her head, for the mostly-human's benefit. "Remembrance of instructions does not bring with it understanding of what is to come. But for whatever it is worth, we do recall the direction given to us." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Sho' man doodad we dig it! We gots'ta stand by our homey, and dat we gots'ta do, no matta' whut may come! Right on!" Antonio declares proudly and would probably have put his arm around Mister Pig's shoulder, had they both been human. Now he simply puffs up his chest and sits next to the other cat. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd answers more plainly. " Follow the road away from the city. Remember, make sure that nothing follows you." He says flatly, intentionally not mentioning their destination, and confident that his fellow felines would pick up on this. His eyes quickly turn back to carefully study the little girl. He hadn't caught her scent before on our first meeting, but Miss Kitty had and she above any of us would know the truth of the matter - too bad she was no longer with us :( =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Standing on the road, Leon is a little surprised to see the human child. He had thought her no more than a gatekeeper of sorts, there to advise them on what would be required. Now she awaits them here, on the very road chosen by the King. "We have been told the way to go, and what to do. But I don't believe it would be prudent to discuss it here, in the open, where we might be overheard." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- "Very good. And yes, that is the important part... " she says, her face very serious, "Nothing must find out where you are going, or the way to get to that place." She relaxes a little then, and smiles, "There is some good news though... which I am sure you will all be happy to hear." "There are no challenges on this journey. No official ones anyway. If you are lucky, then you might get all the way there without any problems. Any problems that you do meet along the way, can be dealt with in any manner you choose. Even if that means running away, or finding some other way to avoid them." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- "So you don't know what we will face, if anything?" Leon asks, staring at the human. "That might make things tricky, because we don't know how many dangers we must overcome." "But, on the plus side, there are no rules regarding how we must handle them. That is worth remembering." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Yo yo yo yo! Less rappin', mo'e walkin'! Right on!" Antonio struts onwards, figuring that talking will not get them anywhere closer to where they have to go, and preferring to take action any day. "Time t'hit da darn road, mah' homeys, time t'hit da darn road," he explains, moving onwards. But there is of course always time to be petted, so he rubs up against her leg as before, purring a little to encourage her to stroke him, and perhaps once more scratch him under the chin just the way he likes. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd smiles, recalling that Miss Kitty hadn't been the only one among them to have greeted the little girl. He would be much more comfortable moving in any direction, once he knew that the child watching was truly a trusted friend and not some devious boggin trick. " So wha's up wit da girl Antony? She our old friend from before? If it's all the same, I'd rather not have anyone knowing which way we travel unless they intend to help achieve the goal." He says with a menacing Rambo-esque tonality to his voice. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The girl giggles, "I'm standing right here, you know? Yes, I'm still the same girl you spoke to earlier. We've all travelled a long way since then, but you should still remember the song I sang when we first met... " Looking directly at Syd, she starts to sing. "Pussy cat, pussy cat Where have you been? I've been to London To look at the Queen. Pussy cat, pussy cat Could she do anything? No, so now I journey To visit the King." Smiling, she adds, "That was the one, I believe." "Still, you are wise not to name your destination here. The world has ears." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd purrs as she sings, recalling the melodic tone of her voice enchanting him as he first 'awoke' to their shared dream. His smile is filled with love and appreciation, and he says to her, " Thank you little lady. I just needed a small reassurance. This is a dangerous venture, and I wish not to betray our Kings confidence. I'm sure you understand my suspicions, knowing the nature of our adversary." He blinks at her with gratitude, then turns his attention outward once more, ever watchful of the shadows around them and the distance of the horizons beyond. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The girl crouches and reaches down to scratch Antonio under the chin. "I understand perfectly. It is good that you are careful, because much is at stake." "For instance, long ago, and longer still, the Bitch Queen of the Dogs won the Contest. At that time, humans and animals could speak to each other. The Bitch Queen, in her... wisdom... decided not to tell humans of the danger they were in from Boggins, because she didn't want to scare them." "Then, a dog accidentally led a Boggin to a place where a certain stone column stood, and the Boggin told others of its kind. In the space of a single night a swarm of them destroyed the stone, ground it to dust, and scattered the dust to the winds." She shakes her head, sadly, "On that night, all animals lost the ability to speak to people, except here, in the Dream. And because of the Bitch Queen's decision, the chance to warn humans was lost." "So, by all means, stay careful, my little friends." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio says nothing, but he purrs instead, enough to send a rumble through the ground where he stands, enjoying the rub under the chin. Soon, however, duty calls and he heeds that call by tearing himself away from the rare - even in the Dream - kind attention. "Man's best homey, eh? If dey only knowed!" He shakes his head and the, with a parting flick of his tail to the girl, marches onwards. "Just brin' it on, dis dude be ready! Right on! Oh yeah! Riiight on!!" "Me-ow!" =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO nods. "We shall," she assures. Then she, too, turns to begin walking. All this talk of secrecy is bound to attract attention soon... =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon considers the girl's tale. It looked as though, even when they won the right to run things, dogs still couldn't get it right. "Thank you for your help. Perhaps the next time we meet, I will be in less of a hurry. It would be interesting to talk more." Then he turns away, to follow OGMO and Antonio. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd continues to hold his post a moment longer, his gleaming blue eyes ever watchful of their surroundings. As the others gain their distance, he lags slightly behind in following their lead. This is not for any reason of cowardice or lack of enthusiasm of course, but quite the opposite. He is on a hunt. He keeps his distance to keep his ears attuned to the noises outside of their little group, and his eyes on the shrubs, boulders, fallen trees, treetops, or anyplace else Prey would be hiding. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- "Yes, thank you." Mister Pig tells the girl. He walks of, tail held proudly high. The girl's assistance, both at their first meeting, and now, has made him feel better about his chances. That help could be found, other than the Ling, and his friends, had never really entered his mind. But it had been found. As he walks away, the girl goes back to sit on the milestone, holding out one hand for a butterfly to land on it. The cats move along and, for any who care to look back, the girl (currently talking to the butterfly) appears to recede twenty steps for every one taken. The road starts to climb a gentle slope, rising to the top of a long ridge. From there, the land ahead is laid out in a vast expanse of low, rolling hills, rising from forested valleys. And already there is a decision to be made, as the road forks. Two roads, the one on the right plunging down into the shade of the woods, the other curving left, and following the edge of the trees. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- The road down appears to lead more directly away from the city." Leon states, considering the two roads. "We were told to go away from the city, so I think that is probably the road we should take." "Of course, this being a dream, it might not matter which one we take. Both might lead to our destination, or neither might." He moves forward, onto the road which leads down to the woods, and sits, while the others consider which way to go. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- Mister Pig considers the two options before him. At last he speaks up, "I believe you may be right. The road down, into the dark beneath the trees, seems less inviting. If somebody were trying to lead us astray, the more pleasant-seeming road would be the wrong one." "I think." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Wise wo'ds! Right on! Let's mosey on waaay down dat alley den and see if dey is bod wise and co'rect," Antonio says all to cheerfully and perhaps not a little bit cryptically, in such that he suggest that wise words may not be true always. "Dese paws is made fo' walkin And boggin fightin' too One uh dese days dese paws is gonna kick some ass fo' yo-ooo!" He starts singing on a little marching song as he, well, marches on. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- "Or it may be," OGMO offers as Antonio starts walking, "That we choose ourselves what form our path will take. But in the waking world, shade is pleasant, and better to hunt and hide in." With a nod to Leon, she, too, starts along the downward path. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd suddenly drops low, his chin nearly touching the ground as his back end tenses in anticipation. He crawls off the road, moving silently through the grass as he hones in on his prey. Without seeing it, he accidentally steps on a small twig which -CRACKS- under his forepaw. Knowing he may have already lost, he rushes forward anyway, catching only air as the supposed 'mouse' escapes his sudden attack. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- While Syd pretends to hunt (and he must be pretending, otherwise he would surely have caught his prey... after all, the only time a cat misses, is when he, or she, intends to do so), the others start on the road downward, into the cool shade below the trees. After a short while, Syd follows... The forest is filled with the singing of birds, and the drone of small flying insects. Large beetles, metallic green in colour, scuttle across the road, some of them are, bizarrely, wearing hats. In a strange reversal of Mister Pig's previous flight on tiny insect wings, a bumble bee as large as a cat flies past, lazily meandering among the trees. The forest grows darker, as the cats move further in, and the road is gradually buried beneath drifts of dead leaves, but the way is still clearly visible, by the open space through the undergrowth which crowds close on each side. After perhaps an hour of walking through the trees, it becomes noticeable that the birds have stopped singing. A short while later, all of the insects have disappeared. The forest has fallen silent... Mister Pig stops, and sits down to wash, thoughtfully. "Could we have come the wrong way." A voice sounds, from a little way ahead. "Oh yes, Moronic Pig. You've definitely come the wrong way." The undergrowth moves, and another Mister Pig steps out onto the road. "Wherever you're going, this is the wrong way. Even if this were the only road in the world, you would be going the wrong way." Behind the second Mister Pig, another Antonio emerges. Followed by duplicates of Leon, Syd, and OGMO. "Even sitting still, Mister Fatty, you're going the wrong way." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- Not only is the other cat an exact duplicate of him, but it is a very rude dupicate as well. Mister Pig, the real Mister Pig, stands and arches his back. He almost seems to double in size, as he snarls at the doppelganger. "Move aside, you can't stop us! We have permission to come this way, from the King of the Cats." The other Mister Pig simply stares at him, then, "Stupid Pig. Do you think we really care about your pathetic King?" =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon speaks quietly, his tail thrashing angrily, "Boggins!" He crouches, ready to spring, should it become necessary to fight. Though he doesn't really expect that it won't become necessary. "Or some vile relatives of theirs. They're all as bad as each other!" =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- The other Leon sits down on the path, and glares at the original. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a clever cat." He yawns, and starts to lick his paw, casually, before adding, "It's probably just as well I've never met one." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO shifts over a bit, sidestepping to stand facing the duplicate Syd. "Such fine forms you are in this day," she says, sounding perfectly sincere. "Well done, and wisely chosen, must I add. Alas that I cannot return the compliment you offer us; I do not think it would be within me to so closely mimic the hideous warping to which you are accustomed outside of the freedom of Dream. But in the interests of politeness, I suppose one must try." Her fur slicks back against her body, darkening to near-black, and seeming to harden into almost a shell. Her teeth and claws grow, although not to the saber-toothed length she decided on when facing Mr. Question and Mr. Sharp. Her tail slims, the now black quill-like fur along it hardening further into a serrated knife's-edge. Her eyes, too, darken, and then redden, taking on a hint of flame within the pupils. But she remains sleek; graceful. As the Change settles over her, she lets out a small sigh. "Alas, no. 'Tis difficult to aspire downward. I fear this shall have to do." =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio just stops and stares at the Anti-tonio and then, he cannot hold it back any longer but starts laughing. "I know some envy me mah' baaaad looks, but dat be absurd. Just look, ya' gots it all wrong! De tail, oh kitten, it duzn't look dat way! And dose ears! Ha! And if ya' gots such doodads wrong, ah' bet ya' dat ya' gots de claws and fangs all wrong too. 'S coo', bro. Shall we find out?" "Me-ow!" He does not do anything, though, except standing there, waiting, with a catty grin on his ginger features. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd only sits quietly from his vantage at the back of the group. He glares with intense hatred at his doppleganger, but makes no sudden move or attack. He knows who he is, and nobody is going to stop him from traveling further along this road... Even if it is a stunningly handsome and well-groomed specimen of feline form. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The false OGMO watches as the real one transforms, and then starts to imitate the transformation. The duplicate Mister Pig speaks, "There is nothing you can do that we can't. We are your worst nightmares." Mister Pig, the real one, looks a bit shocked, and stutters, "B-but... but you can't be! You don't look like a giant mouse, with a hammer and... er... " before stopping himself, and looking nervously about, in case he's given the creatures an idea. "It's a metaphor, right?" Something black moves out onto the path, resembling a shadow, until it stops behind the false cats, and manages to rear up into a shapeless mass of darkness. A voice whispers from it, Where is mine? I have no shape. "Yes, one of them must have left. Go! With no shape, you are of no use in this." The shadow hisses, As you command!, and sinks to the ground, before slithering away. "Shall we do this, Mister Pathetic?" =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon thinks back over the journey so far. They have faced some things which scared him, more than a little, not least among them being in the same room as the King of the Cats. But there is something very worrying about the thought of facing himself here. Still, it must be done, or he might just as well abandon Mister Pig. He takes two paces forward, and crouches, rear end elevated, tail held low and still now. His muscles tense and relax, in preparation for a leap. "Come on then, if you think you're tough enough." he says, sweeping his gaze over all of the others. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO snorts, watching her duplicate match her change from the corner of her eye. "We can do nothing you cannot, it seems, save perhaps think for ourselves," she muses. She, too, crouches down, ready to move past the verbal sparring and into the actual shredding of Boggins, but makes sure that she remains across from Syd's duplicate, rather than her own. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- The Anti-tonio arches his back, and hisses. "Me-ow yaself! Ya gonna fight, or is ya just a scaredy-cat, bro?" He dances forwards a few paces, though turned sideways-on to his opponent, to emphasise his size, such as it is. "Ya wanna find out 'bout dem claws an' fangs, ya gots ta come an' see dem." "No? Den I'll bring dem over dere for ya." And he leaps... =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- When Antonio's Evil Twin leaps, Leon wastes no time. He slams himself forward, directly towards his own doppelganger, claws extended, and mouth gaping, to expose fangs which seem to be extending, even as he pounces. One way, or the other, this will be decided. Leon rolled 2 evens using 4d6 with the Advantage system with rolls of 5, 1, 2, 4. Change Self. =========================================================== Re: Part 5 - Quest of heroes by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Seeing no point in wasting any words in reply to a cheap carbon-boggin-copy, Antonio hurls himself at his opponent, ready to show who is the real deal and who is the wannabe wannabe. You rolled 2 evens using 5d6 with the Advantage system =========================================================== Attack of the Clones by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- "Well, Mister Pitiful, I suppose you always did rely on others to make your decisions for you!" growls the Dark Side Mister Pig. "Get them, but remember the plan!" Then he rushes forward, to attack, he covers about half the distance, before he collides with the real Mister Pig. Nearby, Antonio and Leon meet their own Xerox copies in flurries of teeth and claws and flying fur. The fake OGMO, not looking much like a cat, at the moment, attempts to move towards the real one, and finds her way blocked by Syd, while the fake Syd is forced to face off against the real OGMO! OOC: Usual rules for fighting apply. Roll based on Fangs or Claws, and may the best cat/boggin/alien-mutant-aligator-thing win. If you can think of an alternative tactic, feel free to try it. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- Silently, OGMO wishes Syd luck - she knows she wouldn't want to face her. Then she joins in the pouncing, trying to snake herself around and get her teeth on the back of Sim-Syd's neck, while letting her new prickly fur make reciprocating suitably problematic. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio and Leon both charge straight into their opponents, and the four combatants are soon involved in desperate duels. The duplicates are, of course, not really cats... so normal cat etiquette doesn't apply. This is not a fight to first blood. Leon and his reflection are evenly matched, and neither seems capable of wounding the other seriously. One of the Antonio's, though, is soon bleeding from a series of scratches across his nose, while the other has a torn ear... Syd is faced with the monstrosity that is the other OGMO. Sensibly, he holds back, to see how his own imposter does against the real OGMO. At the very least, he might see what sort of attacks one of those crocodilopines can dish out. Perhaps worryingly, his own double is taking a severe mauling, while seeming incapable of doing any real damage himself... OGMOzilla is, simply, tearing the Dark Syd apart. Nearby, Mister Pig yowls, as he feels the fangs of the evil Mister Pig sink into his shoulder. He wraps his paws around his opponent, and starts kicking with his hind legs... =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Surpisingly, admidst all of the chaos, Syd makes no move. He simply sits and stares silently, looking deep into the soul of the creature before him. He wonders quietly just how much of a duplicate he is dealing with, and decides to test the waters with an old-fashioned staring contest. Unblinking, he watches... he waits... =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio hisses and spits as he lunges at the cheap knock-off once more, claws and teeth spread wide to render a not so pretty picture. While he himself looks a bit ruffled he at least looks to not slow down one bit. Indeed, he seems more like an enraged tiger than an angry cat, despite not having changed a single aspect about himself - well, except for his mood. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO twines around the imposter, sinking her fangs in deeper and shaking. Her eyes glow a deep red as she seeks to finish the Boggin off as quickly as possible... =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon continues his frenzied assault on the fake, looking for any opening in the other's defences. They are evenly matched, but he feels sure that one of him will make a mistake sooner or later. It's just a matter of which one it will be. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The battle rages on, cats versus... not-cats. The two Antonios do battle and, while they may not be as large as some of the others present, what they lack in size, they make up in ferocity. Amid the spitting and cursing, the howls and yowls, one of them finally breaks, and turns to flee. A slashing paw rakes across his hip, and the fleeing creature explodes into a cloud of foul-smelling black vapour... Only one Antonio now remains. The armoured nightmare which is OGMO's current form continues to battle the fake Syd. The more feline form of her opponent is no match for the scales and claws and spines. It tries to bite down on her neck, but its fangs refuse to penetrate. Unlike OGMO's own, which sink deep into the creature's flesh. When she shakes her head, the fangs tear free, hurling the pseudocat away from her. Panic-stricken, it drags itself to its feet, and starts to limp away. Leon and his reflection are rolling about in the dirt, in a titanic battle. The advantage ebbs and flows, and both cats are covered in scratches and bites, and blood. Not all of the blood on a particular combatant belongs to that specific animal. One hisses, as claws drag across his ribs, and the other snarls, as teeth bite into his throat. Eventually they tear away from each other, and one of them runs away, into the forest, as fast as his battered muscles will carry him. Mister Pig still battles with his dark nemesis. Both of them now lay locked in a deadly embrace, while their hind legs kick and rip at each-other's belly. "You are doomed, Mister Stupid!" one of them snarls. "No, you are! And I'm not stupid!" is the none-too-snappy retort. Syd stares at the horrific creature which approaches him, strands of saliva drooling from its hideous jaws. It hisses and snarls as it gets closer. Then falters. Syd has not moved. Not even to blink. Around it, three of the fighters have fallen, or are trying to make a getaway. The remaining one is engaged in combat. It realises that soon it might be facing four cats, one of which is a perfect match for itself. Even a Boggin knows when it's going to lose. With a final hiss, it starts to back down, growing smaller, as feathers begin to replace its scales. Wings push out from its flanks, and start to lift it into the air... =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Deprived of the source of his rage, but not of the rage, Antonio the Ginger Berserker from Loonyland looks around for the next maulable maulee, rather disappointed at the abrupt ending. The rage needs slaking. Some are hard to tell apart and are automatically ignored by the battle hungry mind. A bird passes unnoticed as well. But there is something. Mister Pig and his clever-ended copy. With a roaring hiss he lunges at the two belly-kickers, aiming to take the fake away from the real and cut the story short for the blundering boggin in cat's clothing. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd does blink when the cat-creature decides to shift form and become a fleeing bird instead. Having geared himself for what seemed inevitable violence, he is quite stunned when the tactics shift to his favor. So stunned in fact, that his normal cat-like reflexes fail him. He springs forward at the last instant, an instant that is half an instant too late . . . and the boggin-bird escapes his grasp. "NUTS!!", he hisses through his fangs when he catches only air. (1 even, ...dammit) =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd leaps at the bird, as it lifts clear. Perhaps the evil creature uses some supernatural treachery... how else could a bird hunter, par excelence, like Syd, miss it? Miss it he does, and it flies higher, until it is no more than a speck in the sky, and finally even that disappears from view. The Mister Pigs continue their struggle, one grimly silent now, as he finds he can make no progress, the other snarling insults and obsceneties, making it relatively easy for Antonio to tell them apart. The ginger cat weighs in, his claws tearing deep into flesh, and drawing blood from the fake cat. The imposter breaks away, and with a final cry of, "Farewell, Mister Pathetic!" it runs off down the path, with black smoke seeping from its fur. As it disappears around a bend, it's voice echoes back, "See you around, Doomed Piggy!" Mister Pig sits down on the path, and starts to wash, "I'm not really pathetic. Am I?" =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- "Of course you're not pathetic, my friend." Leon replies to Mister Pig's question. "Bad luck, that's all it is." He moves forward, and stops, peering ahead, along the track. "Not all of the copies were accounted for. We should get going, in case they decide to return." =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Who is you callin' padetic, ya' so'ry little carbon copy!? Come back here and ah' gots'ta tear ya' little padetic brain out so's ya' kin dig sump'n useful into dat skull uh yo's! Right on!!" Antonio calls after the fleeing fake that hurls insults after Mister Pig. He does not pursue, however, but remains near the latter in case some of the others indeed will return. Turning to Mister Pig he simply states, as he slowly revs down from his battle frenzy, "Youse Mista' Pig, he be Mista' Padetic - he be a stupid boggin." "All right, let's move on. 'S coo', bro," he states in agreement with Leon. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO gives herself a quick shake, sliding back into her real form like shaking off a morning dew. "`Pathetic' concerns you more than `doomed'?" she asks, amusedly. "Then, no, of course you are not. One must have great strength of will to look upon their very doom, and worry still more for their outer image." She sounds quite serious. "Leon has stated it well; it is time to continue on." She starts walking down the path, ears swivelling and nose twitching as she checks around for any other watchers, the moment she's out of the pool of scent left by the Boggins on the road. =========================================================== Re: Attack of the Clones by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd sits crouched on his belly for a long minute, simply staring up at the sky in complete disbelief at the place where the bird was last seen. Finally he sits up, then flexes one set of claws out and then the other. All available and accounted for, so what had happened? " Dreams are slippery places. Near impossible to hold any traction here." he says, and then shrugs the whole thing off as he dashes ahead to the front of the procession. Syd felt there was only one true way to recover from a humiliation, and that was to conquer it with an even greater victory. He wasn't going to chance being the last in the group to spot the next challenge. =========================================================== What's that? by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- With Syd in the lead, and Mister Pig close behind his friend, the cats continue into the forest. The air grows stiller around them as they move forward, and the path winds between the trees. Eventually they reach a point where the land drops suddenly, and through a break in the trees they can see tall peaks ahead of them, beyond a steep-sided valley. The trees here are taller, and older, than any they have seen before. Some of the trunks are as big around as human houses, and festooned with ivy. Looking up, there are clouds drifting among the branches, far overhead. The path switchbacks down the valley wall. lower and lower, and the sound of running water reaches their ears, growing louder, until they find themselves moving along a broad ledge, some twenty feet above a fast flowing stream. It is cool here, and the still air is damp, as they follow the path upstream. Another sound comes to them soon after, even above the sound of the stream. A rustling, shuffling sound, mixed with a noise like very distant thunder, and a strange chittering, squeaking, noise. Far ahead, some vast, flat darkness, stretching far out of sight, is flowing along the path towards them, like a liquid shadow, moving quickly, and the sound grows louder as it approaches. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd stops dead in his tracks, looking further ahead along the path in hopes that there would be someplace safer than on a ledge twenty feet above moving water. He then looks back to the noise and darkness approaching and his heart ices over with the chill touch of fear. Slowly, he finds his voice, but is unable to tear his gaze away from the approaching thunder. " Uh, ...Ogmo? What is that?" he asks down the line behind him, hoping she will hold some insight into the situation. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO comes up to the front, and looks out at the approaching wave of blackness. Her ears swivel to face it, and seem to stretch, growing larger. Her eyes darken as her pupils widen. And widen. And widen. Soon her face is almost wholly covered by two large black eyes, topped by a pair of exaggerated ears - like one of those annoying "cute cat" statues, with almost no room left for a nose. She leans forward a bit, her neck elongating just slightly to help, and stares forward. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The mass of darkness seems to flow along the path, but gradient has no discernible effect upon it... it flows as easily on the uphill sections as on the downhill. As it gets closer, it becomes apparent that there is a certain granularity to it. Not liquid, but a mass of distinct objects. As it gets closer, the movement slows to a halt, blocking the ledge, but still some distance off. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd sits on full alert, his nose sniffing the wind for another clue to the mysterious black mass of granular dimension. His curiousity tells him to move closer, but his apprehension holds his legs in check for the moment. " No way." he says under his breath, and then adds only a little louder remark for his friends. " A ...million, ...little, m-mice?" He sniffs the air again, wanting with his entire heart and soul to know more about it and slowly losing the fight to stay in place. He somehow manages to hold his ground and adds as an after thought, "...something small and a lot of it in any case." =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- "No, it couldn't be." Leon answers Syd, "Ants. Beetles. Roaches. Something like that, I'd say." He glances at OGMO, noting the cartoonish appearance, and resists the temptation to say "Hello, Kitty, what is it?" Instead, he settles for waiting patiently for his friend to complete her study. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO gives her head a sharp shake, like shaking off water, and it returns to its normal appearance. "Mice," she confirms, and looks at Syd with a grin. "I lost count after 663,283, so I shall defer to your count." =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Rats." Antonio sighs the word more than anything. Then he looks over at the others, as if puzzled why they might give him puzzled looks. "Just wishin' it wuz rats instead uh mice. A lot mo'e t'eat dat way," he says and shrugs like only a cat shrugs. "But ah' suppose ah' could use some snack. Ya' know? No mo'e dan 300,000 fo' me dough, so's ya' gots'ta t'split da damn rest, cats." =========================================================== Re: What's that? by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- "Tsk tsk," OGMO chides Antonio for his greed. "If there are one million of them, and five of us, that is two hundred thousand apiece, not three." She considers the possibilities. She has twenty claws...two solid teeth...surely no more than thirty or so mice could reach her at any given moment...though she'd already given up a few tufts of fur to that misbegotten Boggan. Hm. "They do not seem to be bothering anyone," she points out. "Perhaps there is a quieter way around." =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "I kin count, ya' know, kitty. 663,283, wid 300,000 fo' me, leaves 363,283 fo' de rest uh ya' t'split, o' 700,000 if dere be a million. Man! Ah' ain't hungry enough t'eat dem all," Antonio says with a sneer, shaking his head. "As fo' some way around, sho' baby, dis be de Dream, afta' all," he tells her with one of his more regular grins. "It may not be as much fun, dough. Lop some boogie!" =========================================================== Re: What's that? by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- As the cats discuss what to do, with such a vast number of pairs of beady little eyes staring straight at them, the mice all fall silent, as if a single mind is controlling them all. One of them moves forward, a good six or seven inches ahead of the rest, and rears up on its hind legs. Oddly, it appears to have a ribbon of crimson silk about its (tasty-looking) neck, and a tiny glint of gold hanging at its oh-so-scrumptious throat. It clears its throat, and starts to speak, in a tiny, squeaky voice... "Foul tyrant felines, you have entered the Glorious Eternal Rodent Empire, where none of your kind are permitted to travel. This is the Sublime and Victorious Mouse Army, of which I am the Supreme Grand High Commander in Chief, and we have come to defend our boundaries." "However, it could be that, rather than driving you back in ignominious retreat, we may be able to reach an accord. Since you travel this way, it seems sensible to assume that you have a purpose in doing so, and would prefer to continue on your way. Agreeing to the accord will result in our allowing you to move on, without having to seek a long, and doubtless inconvenient detour." "Will you hear my proposition, or shall we dispense with courtesy, and simply drive you hence?" =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Supreme Grand High Commander in Chief? Leon does his best to suppress all signs of amusement. This is a mouse, with a title which probably weighs far more than the mouse does. Perhaps the title is compensating for something else. "So, let me just see if I have this right. You want to make some sort of deal with us?" =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- Mister Pig is in shock. Mice don't generally offer to spare him, except in his nightmares. Then again, he reasons, this is the Dream. He looks about, trying to judge what his friends might have planned. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio instantly engages in a heroic battle. He fights the urge to crack some jokes before starting to crack mice-skulls. His face shifts as the battle rages, and he twitches a little, eager to speak first and then devour. He is pretty sure he could eat half the army, since this is The Dream, but he must consider the others too. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- " Hold your ground Antony." Syd says with a stern look to his orange friend. " I'm sure your appetite is large, but they reach clear to the horizon and have a natural propensity for rapid breeding habits." Syd looks back to the army and their diminuitive leader. Sure, we could eat for a week with what was being offered, but dreams sometimes have the bad habit of shifting into nightmare if not guarded carefully. Could one actually die from over-eating? Somehow it didnt't seem entirely impossible at the moment. =========================================================== Re: What's that? by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Since nobody else seems inclined to ask, Leon volunteers himself as spokescat for the group. "What exactly is it that you are proposing?" he asks the grandiose mouse, "Once we know what the deal is, then we'll decide if we will accept it or not. For the moment, we only agree to listen, just long enough for you to state your position." =========================================================== Of mice and menaces... by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- The mouse faces Leon, brave as a lion, while he has his army behind him. Where he alone, no doubt, it would be a different matter. "It is a simple matter, and one well within the capabilities of creatures such as yourselves. Cats hunt birds, do they not? We wish to employ you to do just that. Hunt a specific bird." "A particular owl is terrorising the Glorious Eternal Rodent Empire, attacking without warning. Every night, our citizens die in their hundreds, and the owl, who styles herself The Queen of Air and Darkness, is never satiated. Our people are forced to move about during the day, when we feel vulnerable and exposed, and even then the owl has been known to strike!" The mouse pauses for a moment, before continuing, "His Most Lofty and Exalted Emminence, the High Emperor of All Mice, has decreed, in His unsurpassed wisdom, that I am to offer you cats Right of Passage, across the Glorious Eternal Rodent Empire, in exchange for your dealing with this most foul of all fowl." "Will you undertake this task? Or will you turn back now?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio sends a toothy grin at Syd, doing the shrug that cats do. When the little morsel starts on his monologue, Antonio's ears twitches and towards the end it looks as if the orange cat is fast asleep, as he starts to make snoring noises. He is still sitting, though, with only his head drooping a little - any cat knows that is not how you sleep. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Syd looks at Leon with a nod and a smile. This black cat wasnt known as a bird-killer for nothing, despite his earlier faux pas at the start of their journey down this path. He had taken down over a dozen in the past month alone. " An owl is a little larger than a sparrow, but the technique is the same." he says, expressing his willingness without offering consent to the little mouses' bargain. He continues to smile, knowing that an owl was a MUCH larger bird with MUCH larger claws and wings. This terrified him to the core, but true to his feline nature, he shows no lack of confidence, only pride in his potential for a great perfomance and the chance at the hunt of a lifetime. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- "Do you think we should?" Leon looks at Syd as he asks this. "Help them I mean?" "This owl is killing hundreds of mice every night, and still she's hungry. And she calls herself a Queen." The cat seems very nervous, and his gaze keeps turning upwards, as if he is expecting Death from Above at any moment. "What if she's the owl equivalent of the King of the Cats?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO makes a disdainful whuffing noise. "There is no equivalent to the King of Cats," she says. She steps closer to the mouse, crouching down to look at it closely. "It is your place," she points out. "Mice are eaten, here as in the world, for that is the way of it. This owl preys upon you by the hundreds, but surely that is a small portion of the mice that die each night to feed others? Why does this one concern you so? I note that your conditions do not ask us to pass without eating; if you hope that we are stronger than she, must you not fear, also, that we are...stronger than she?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- Mister Pig leans forward, listening to the reply. His mind is racing, seeking a solution to the situation. OGMO is correct in one respect... no other creature can be as powerful as the King of the Cats. But this bird does not need to be that strong. If she is merely one tenth as powerful as the King, then she would still be more dangerous than a dozen cats. A cat who defeated such a being would surely become famous. But, beneath the other paw, hunting this owl might take time, and in the Dream there is no way to judge the true passage of time. A Dream year might pass in a few Waking World moments, or a single heartbeat might take hours of real time. Can they afford to take a side trip of indeterminate duration, when Boggins might, even now, be working their insidious schemes? Thrashing his tail, Mister Pig thinks... The mouse does not flinch before OGMO, though his small voice sounds a little less steady, as he replies to her, "We have far less to fear from all of you. You are passing through, whereas this Queen of Air and Darkness appears to have taken up permanent residence. If you feed upon us as you pass, then there will be an end to it. With Her, there is no end in sight." "As for why she is different... " he falls silent for a moment, then continues, "When a cat, or a weasel, or even a regular owl, kills one of us, we are reborn. That is why so many mice are born, because so many mice die. If She eats a mouse, or if your King, or the Weasel Chieftan, eats a mouse, that mouse is gone. Forever." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- " Forever." Syd echoes. " Thats kind of a long time." he adds. He sits quietly looking out over the massive mouse army, considering a world without any mice at all. His palette was more refined for the taste of feather than fur, but they were always good practice once wounded properly. " I for one, would hate to go home to a world without mice. If we allow this to continue, that may be the prospect we face." he says. Syd shows no sign of the cold talon of fear gripping his heart, instead offering the calm confidence his kind are known for. " I say we take care of this and then get moving again." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- OGMO tilts her head a little. "So. It is the problem of her preference for you - the killing of hundreds every night - that must be repaired? It is not, necessarily, that the Queen must die herself, nor even cease her hunts absolutely, if she can be convinced to again restrain her appetites as the others do? Tell me, morsel, how long has this been happening?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "No mo'e mice? Dat'd be some shame, seein' how supa fine dey is as some snack. Ya' know? Maybe it be wo'd mah' time t'look at dis bird den and see if we kin't tell ha' to go pick on dogs o' sump'n instead. Dogs ah' could live widout, ah' could, uh huh," Antonio agrees. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- If the mouse general is offended by OGMO's use of the word "morsel", or by any of the other mentions of how good mice are to eat, the tiny creature shows no sign of it. "None of the other Rulers come here. This has always been our sanctuary. A place where we knew that, should we be killed, we would be born again. The Queen first appeared three moons ago, and declared her ownership of this territory." "There was a compact... an agreement, made immediately following the last Great Contest. The Rulers all agreed to respect the borders between the Dream Lands. That is why your Nine-Tailed King does not hunt here, or in the realm of the birds, and why the Bitch Queen does not come to howl outside your King's window." His voice is growing plaintive, now, "But the Queen of Air and Darkness has broken that agreement." "The Glorious Eternal Rodent Empire was granted all the land, from the Mirror Mountain to the Forest of Endless Sleep, from Cloud Ridge to the Sea of Flame, and now she claims it. We could go to the other Rulers, and report the transgression, but we are small and weak. If we set foot beyond our border, we become fair game for any that want to hunt us, including the Rulers of the very lands we would enter to report the breaking of the ancient treaty." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon thinks about the mouse's words. This owl has broken an agreement that all other creatures had agreed to. The only reason she is getting away with it is that the victims are afraid to tell anybody about it. "All the rulers agreed to this law." he says quietly, "By breaking it, she breaks a promise that was made to all of them, including to the King of ths Cats." "The way I see it, we can try to stop her, or we can leave, and ensure that the King finds out about her. Either way, the threat will be ended, sooner or later." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "She pawed ha' own beddin', now she gots'ta t'sleep on it," Antonio agrees with a nod and, had he been a human, would have slapped Leon on the back. Now he merely looks at Leon with the same effect. Far more efficient. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- Addressing the mice for the first time, Syd asks simply, " So where's her nest?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by The Dream (GM) ----------------------------------------------------------- "It is not far from here." the mouse replies, turning to indicate somewhere along the road behind him... the direction the cats had been travelling in originally. "Perhaps an hour along the road, and then turn off to the right for another half hour. There is a tree there... the tallest in the forest, and she nests in it." The mouse turns back to face his feline audience, sounding hopeful as he asks, "So you will help?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Antonio peers with apparent indifference towards the indicated direction, barely able to withhold a question whether or not he was to get a couple of them as snacks for the road. Instead he turns to regard his friends, allowing them to speak, lest he opens his mouth and proceeds with feeding - starting with the High and Mighty Whatever. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon turns, "That would be your decision, I believe, Mister Pig. We are here because of you, and, to my way of thinking, your mission takes priority. You must decide." Leon sits, and waits for Mister Pig to choose. While he waits, he whispers quietly to Antonio, "I wonder what owl tastes like. An owl looks, a little, like a sort of chicken, at any rate. Perhaps it will taste like one. Maybe it will even have gravy for blood." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Mister Pig (NPC) ----------------------------------------------------------- Mister Pig has been considering choices all this time, while hoping against all hope that somebody else would make the decision for him. He really sucks at making big choices... but now, it seems, he's being put on the spot. "Er... um... " he says, decisively. It's times like these he really envies humans, with their opposable thumbs. Oh, to be able to flip a coin... Eventually it occurs to him, though, that he really needs to pass these mice, and there is only one way to do that. "We must hunt this owl." he finally states, but his voice is not particularly confident. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- Looking over at Leon Antonio listens to the question and then grin ominously. "Wid all de snack she gots eaten lately," he starts to whisper back and looks over the Army of the Delicious Appetisers, that is, the mouse army, "Ah' would say she be likesly t'taste likes mice mixed wid chicken. 'S coo', bro." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Leon ----------------------------------------------------------- Leon starts to lash his tail back and forth, thinking about the owl. The Queen must be killed. Driving her away will not work, since she could come back after we have left and begin her reign of terror anew." "We have no choice in this. We need to pass through here, and if we are to do that, then the owl must die." =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by OGMO ----------------------------------------------------------- "Tsk," OGMO says. "Nonsense. The Great Squeaking Empire's problem must be solved; perhaps the Owl Queen must die for this. But before we seek her end, we should think. What effect do you suppose it might have upon all Owls, should she die?" =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Syd ----------------------------------------------------------- " Good point." Syd says with a nod to Leon. He looks back across the vast army before him (for some reason he cannot help himself) and licks his whiskers. Pausing a moment to look up to the sky, he considers the loss of his own King and sighs. " Let us go to her nest. First we try reason, if we can find the cause, maybe we can stop the effect. Without anyone dying unecessarily of course." He then starts forward, traveling the direction indicated by the diminuative mouse leader. =========================================================== Re: Of mice and menaces... by Antonio ----------------------------------------------------------- "Anyway, it be not likes we could not feed all de mice instead uh goin' t'chat wid de bird, but heck, no mo'e snacks in de future sounds some bit dull," Antonio adds, loudly and clearly enough for even the smallest and most yonder mice can hear it. "I'm sho' man de lady gots ha' reasons t'be go'gin' herself on mice." ===========================================================
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